RISE OF THE FALL | R.B.

XLIII.

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

*

CHAPTER XLIII.

"Merlin, Sirius," Reia grumbled, "Must you be so loud?"

She had since the meeting learnt that the Order Headquarters were located at the Potter Mansion, and that this house belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Potter, both of whom were extremely friendly.

She had also learnt that the location of the Headquarters was protected with the Fidelius Charm, and that Dumbledore was the Secret Keeper.

The dark-haired boy paused his yelling and said, "What other way am I going to get Remus to get my broomstick?"

"I don't know, the summoning charm?" Reia said, exasperated.

"Well," Sirius said with a grin, "That's not going to wake Remus up, is it?"

"Look, Sirius," Reia said, "You're waking up half the planet. Just go upstairs and wake him, instead of yelling from a place where he probably can't even hear you."

"Smart," Sirius chuckled, "But this way is much more fun, little Lupin."

"Hmm," Reia hummed, "I thought you hated me?"

"Ah, that was a year ago. And besides," He added, "I don't have any reason to hate you now—you're not a Death Eater, and you're not around Regulus, are you?"

"I'm not either of those things," Reia agreed, "But what has me being around Regulus got to do with it?"

"Well," Sirius put one hand on his hip and said, raising his eyebrows, "I can't be all nice around my little brother, can I? It'll just make him miss me more." He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"You hate him, do you?" Reia asked.

Finally, Sirius dropped the act and sighed deeply, sitting down at the dining table beside Reia.

"I don't hate him," Sirius said genuinely, "I just...don't want him to get hurt. The more I am nice around him, he'll no doubt start being kind back, because that's just how he is, and, well, if his parents find out...then they'll punish him—and I don't want him to be hurt."

Reia didn't reply for a moment.

Finally, she said, "He misses you, you know."

"Yeah," Sirius said with a sad smile, "I know. If you see him...tell him that I miss him, too."

Then, Sirius stood up with a grunt and went up the stairs, probably to wake Remus up.

Reia sat there in silence.

Sirius had grown over the past year. He had once been the boy who had absolutely despised her for her House—and now he was willing to tell her how he felt about his brother—in a genuine way, from what she could see.

She supposed that that was what fighting against the darkest wizard of all time for a whole year did to somebody.

Even to the bravest of people.

***

When the first letter from Regulus arrived, Reia wasn't the first one to get to it.

The owl had given it to Mrs. Potter, because she had been by the window at the time.

Mrs. Potter had set it on the kitchen table, and the four boys had gotten to the letter first.

Sirius, especially, was the most curious, and decided to open the letter, especially when he spotted the words 'From Regulus Black, to Reia Hope L.' written in handwriting that Sirius was familiar with—it was Regulus' handwriting.